How to add a Peter Pan Collar to Any Top

You’ll find them on t-shirts, sweaters, and dresses. The bad news? Tops like the ones above can be priced up to $98, which, as cute as they are, I’m not willing to spend on a shirt. The good news? You don’t have to spend $98! Most of us already have one (or three) sweaters or dresses in our closet that can easily be transformed, and today I’m going to show you how!

Ready to take this…

To this?

Let’s get started…

Materials:

round necked top (or dress) – remember that if you’re using a sweater with a small neck opening that relies on stretch to get over your head, that adding a non-stretchy collar might make it difficult to get the sweater on – make sure you’ll still be abe to wear the sweater after the collar is added :)

cotton scraps large enough to cut 4 front/back collar pieces

mid-to-heavy-weight fusible interfacing (I used Pellon 930F)

Instructions:

1. Fold your top in half as pictured. Try to keep the natural shape of the curve in place.

2. To make your collar pattern, trace the curve between center front to center back.

3. Sketch your collar shape on each end of the curve as desired – I made the front collar a bit larger than the back.

4. Trace around the entire collar, 1/2″ away on all sides (to account for seam allowance).

5. Cut your pattern out and use it to cut 4 collar pieces out of your fabric, plus 4 pieces out of interfacing (I had to adjust my curved seam allowance to 1/4″ to fit the pattern piece on my fabric).

8. Turn collar right side out and press flat. Topstitch along outer curve 1/4″ away from edge. Repeat with other collar piece.

9. Serge the inner curve, removing NO fabric with the serger blade, or zig-zag stitch along inner curve. Repeat with other collar piece.

10. Mark center front and center back of top with pins and pin collar to wrong side as pictured (the more pins the merrier, especially if sewing with one stretchy and one non-stretchy fabric. The collar should overlap the neck edge 1/2″.

omygeeeerrd. It’s that easy?! Why aren’t there any patterns for ’em? It must not be in vogue … but not one pattern?! I almost thought about buying the rare children’s pattern that has these collars and reverse engineer it for adults, but i KNEW the internet wouldn’t fail me! THANKS FOR TUTORIAL!!

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